Just last week the occupied territories Bill was approved by Cabinet and will be brought through the Houses between now and the summer. Let us be clear. The Deputy is suggesting that the Government should get involved in deciding not just for the FAI but for all sporting organisations what competitions they should and should not participate in. The point that she is focusing on most of all is the Israel game coming up. However, she supports and did so again here last night that for all sports where Israel is partic…

It would be unprecedented to follow through on what the Deputy and Members of the Opposition are proposing, which is not participating in international sporting competitions, including not participating in the next Olympic Games as a country.

I am not.

I am addressing the issue and addressing proposals that are coming from the Opposition, including all the logical outworkings of what the Deputy is proposing. It would be unprecedented and would have the Government getting involved in an unprecedented way in dictating what should happen in relation to sport.

We will continue to lead out politically at European level as we have done here.

As I have said on a number of occasions, there is a real difference between what happened with Russia where there was unity at an EU political level to apply sanctions and also where both UEFA and FIFA banned Russia from participating in their competitions. That has not happened either at political level - there is not a consensus there - in relation to Israel or on the sporting side from UEFA or FIFA.

The FAI has been engaging domestically with the Garda in relation to the policing of the event. It has also been engaging internationally with other football associations. For example, it has engaged with the Norwegian Football Association, which hosted a match against Israel in Oslo in November, to learn from its experience and to see how the FAI can apply any learnings in relation to the operation of that match. We have had a number of conversations with the FAI where it updated us on the steps it is taking as we…

The Department of sport has not been involved in the operational details or discussions, which are matters for the FAI to deal with along with the appropriate authorities. It has had ongoing engagement with the Garda. I know the Garda has indicated to the FAI that it is willing to police the game but they continue to engage. I have no doubt the FAI has been engaging with Dublin City Council. We have not been party to those discussions. Obviously, this is a matter for the FAI to decide upon in relation to participat…

The Department has responsibility for policy and various funding streams that support the development of the live music sector. The Department, both through its own schemes as well as its funding of the Arts Council, provides a range of support to organisations that play essential roles in the development of live music events across the country. However, the Minister has no general responsibility for live events which extends beyond concerts and sport events. The codes of practice in relation to live events fall wi…

This is something that the night-time economy task force considered. It made recommendations that clear processes and procedures should be consistently applied across local authorities to assist festival and event organisers and ensure safe attendance at community group events of fewer than 5,000 people. The Department has been engaging with the Local Government Management Agency, LGMA, and the County and City Management Association, CCMA, which are leading on this action within the night-time economy task force, t…

Yes.

As a Government and Department, we should always be open to assessing and discussing the challenges that are there, as well as listening to any ideas people have. As I said, the night-time economy task force considered and made recommendations in this regard. I am happy to ask officials to engage further with the Deputy around any proposals she might have and to consider the matter further. It is important that we always keep these matters under review. Where there are challenges and further discussion needed, that…

Ar iarratas ó mo Roinn, d’eagraigh An Chartlann Náisiúnta - foras a thagann faoi scáth na Roinne - taispeántas den chéad scoth anuraidh, An Ghaeilge agus Daonáireamh na Gaeltachta 1925. Bhí an taispeántas le feiceáil i gceanncheathrú nua mo Roinne agus ag an gcomórtas treabhdóireachta, the ploughing championship, i mí Mheán Fómhair seo caite. Cuireadh béim sa taispeántas ar an nasc idir cúrsaí teanga, polasaí agus féiniúlachta ó bhlianta tosaigh an Stáit go dtí an lá atá inniu ann. Léiríodh, trí cháipéisí cartlainn…

Obviously, it is an historic moment to be 100 years on since the Gaeltacht was first officially recognised. The Deputy is asking what the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport in particular is doing to commemorate this. Across government, all Departments are going to have to consider and appropriately recognise this. Regarding my Department, last year, at the National Archives of Ireland we had an exhibition, The Irish Language and the 1925 Census of the Gaeltacht. I also outlined how the Department is su…

I have outlined the steps we are taking from a departmental point of view. It has been wonderful in recent years to see the renaissance of the Irish language and the particular focus on the spoken language. It is lamentable how so many of us have come through our education system and have such a poor grasp of speaking Irish. Unfortunately, I include myself in that, even though I come from a county - although I live a good distance from a Gaeltacht area - that has such a proud tradition and has kept the Irish langua…

National governing bodies of sport, NGBs, which represent over 13,000 sports clubs throughout the country, are independent, autonomous organisations which are responsible for governance of their sports at national, local and other levels, including disciplinary and complaints processes. Sport Ireland, as Ireland's sports development agency, works with NGBs to ensure that appropriate governance and safeguarding policies are put in place, as well as mechanisms to handle complaints or issues when they arise. This work…

This is an issue that requires careful consideration. To a significant extent, we have to empower NGBs and their membership to have good codes of governance and conduct within their organisations to deal with issues that arise. We would have to carefully consider any step that would bring that into a State body. It would have significant unintended consequences. We are reviewing our national sport policy and there will be a public consultation over the coming months. It is important that all issues are considered i…

Sport Ireland is always available to work with national governing bodies in respect of their governance and how they run themselves. In 2023, it set in place the governance code for sport. It also launched the national code of conduct template, which NGBs are encouraged to adopt to make sure the structures and policies they have in place, and within which their membership, oversight bodies and committees have to operate, work. As I said, the Federation of Irish Sport also has a disputes resolution facility in place…

I thank Deputy Coppinger. I have not personally received a legal letter. There was correspondence to our Department. That legal letter was actually addressed to the previous Cabinet Minister, Catherine Martin, but it has been assessed and considered by the Department. As I have said in this House on numerous occasions this week, this is an issue that, from a footballing perspective, is one for the FAI to work on within the structures it has within UEFA and FIFA. It has been proactive within UEFA in bringing a motio…

What the Deputy has been supporting and proposing in the House this week is not just related to the match, which obviously has dominated the discussion and debates. What she has been supporting and advocating is that all Irish athletes across all sports should not participate in any competitions internationally in which Israel is also participating. That basically means that while the illegal occupation of the occupied territories continues, Ireland would not participate in any sports anywhere. It would not just ap…